Watch construction



MW 5, 1936. R. H. WHITEHEAD I WATCH CONSTRUCTION Filed NOV.' 20, 1935Patented May 5, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WATCH CONSTRUCTIONApplication November 20, 1935, Serial No. 50,619

8 Claims. (Cl. 587-127)v This invention relates to an improvement inwatch constructions', and has for one of its objects the provision of asuperior watch construction whereby the thickness of a watch from frontto rear may be of a minimum dimension without necessitating theemployment of a movement-unit of less than ample dimensions.

Anotherobject of the present invention is to provide a watchconstruction in which the movement-unit is organized with the case-unitin a superior and stable manner.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear to thoseskilled in the art from the following, considered in conjunction withthe accompanying drawing and appended claims, the present inventionincludes all features disclosed therein which are novel over the priorart.

In the accompanying drawing: Fig. 1 is a face vieW of a watch embodyingthe present invention;

Fig. 2 is an edge view thereof; Fig. 3 is a View through the case-unitthereof, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, but with the dial andmovement-unit in edge elevation;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional View similar to Fig. 3, but with thedial also in section;

Fig. 5 is a view in edge elevation of the movement-unit and dial, with aportion of the said dial in central section; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the dial, detached.

The particular watch herein chosen for the illustration of the presentinvention includes a case-unit composed of a front-member 2D and aback-member 2|, each of which is provided on its abutting edge with anannular tongue 22 fitting into an annular groove 23 in the other memberof the case-member. The front case- 4-0 member is provided at itsforward edge with an inturned bezel-ange 24 having formed in its innerforward corner an annular crystal-receiving groove 25 of acute-angledform in cross-section and the walls of which groove provide a seat 45for the edge of a concaVo-convex crystal 26, as

clearly shown in Fig. 3.

The formation of the crystal-receiving groove 25 in the inner forwardedge of the bezel-flange 24 of the front case-member results in thecrea- 5 tion of a relatively-thin inwardly-extending stop-pin 21, which,in addition to serving to prevent the inward displacement of the crystal26, also acts to prevent the outward displacement of a vmovement-unit,as will be later described.

Located within the case-unit, which includes the front and rearcase-members and 2|, before described, is a watch-movement whichincludes a front movement-plate 28 and a complementary rearmovement-plate 29, secured to- 60 gether in parallel spaced relationshipby means of a plurality of pillars 30. Within the space between the twomovement-plates 28 and 29 is mounted the usual time-train of a watch,which train requires no detail description or illustration herein, butwhich is represented by a centerwheel 3|, a center-pinion l32 and acenteror minute-arbor 33 which is journaled in the respectivemovement-'plates 28 and 29, and to which the center-wheel 3| andcenter-pinion 32 are rigidly attached in a manner usual in watches.

Just forwardly of the point of its bearing in its front movement-plate28, the centeror minute-arbor 33 has rigidly attached to it acannonpinion 34, which meshes into and drives a dialwheel 35, rotatablymounted upon a stud 36 forwardly offsetting from the frontmovement-plate 28. Rigidily secured to the forward face of thedial-wheel 35, just referred to, is a dial-pinion 31 which meshes intoand drives an hour-wheel 38 mounted upon the centeror minute-arbor 33with freedom for rotation with respect thereto. The hour-wheel 38 isprovided with an hour-sleeve 39 extending forwardly from it through anaperture 40 in a dial 4| and carrying at its forward end an hour-hand orpointer 42 sweeping over the face of the dial 4|, which is suitablymarked in the usual manner of timepieces.

The extreme forward end of the centeror minute-arbor 33 has staked to ita minute-hand or pointer 43, also sweeping over the face of the dial 4|in the space intermediate the same and the inner face of theconcavo-convex crysstal 26. Encirclin'g the hour-sleeve 39 and bearingagainst the forward face of the hour-wheel 38 and the rear face of thedial 4|, is a springwasher 44, which serves to prevent the forwarddisplacement of the said hour-wheel and the parts carried thereby.

The dial 4|, which 'is preferably formed of sheet-metal or othersuitable material, is struck up to provide in effect a cup-shapedneck-portion 45, which is adapted to extend forwardly into the circularsight-passage 46 formed in the bezel-Bange 24 and through which the faceof the dial 4| and the hands 42 and 43 may be observed. The 'saidsight-opening 46 is bounded as shown by the stop-lip 21 of thebezel-flange 24.

'I'he neck-portion 45 of the dial 4| joins at its rear aforwardly-facing annular stop-shoulder 41 which is adapted to abutagainst the inner face of the stop-lip 21 of the bezel-flange 24 andwhich, in turn, joins at its rear the outwardlyturned portion 48 of aresilient retaining-skirt, generally designated by the numeral 49 andincluding, in 4addition to 'the portion 48, arearwardly-and-outwardly-inclined portion 50 and a rearwardly-extendingportion 5|.

As thus formed. the dial 4| provides a space forwardly of the frontmovement-plate 28, in which is located a dial-work comprising the parts34 to 38 inclusive.

'I'he retaining-skirt 49 of the dial is substantially annular, save foroccasional notches 52 cut therein, and is adapted to frictionally'engage the inner surface of the front case-member 20, as particularlywell shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and will serve to yieldingly hold themovement-unit within the said front case-member 20 when the backcase-member 2| is removed therefrom. For the purpose of anchoring thedial 4| to the movement-unit, the said dial is formed in its notches 52with a plurality of clamping-fingers 53, which are rearwardly andinwardly bent, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, to clamp the edge andunder-side of the front movement-plate 2B.

By extending the neck-portion 45 of the dial 4| forwardly into thesight-opening 46 of the bezel-ange 24, the movement-unit is stabilized,and, furthermore, the front-to-rear thickness of the movement-unit maybe by the same amount reduced, to thus enable the case-unit to be ofminimum thickness for a given size movementunit.

The invention may be carried out in other specic ways than that hereinset forth without departing from the spirit and essentialcharacteristics of the invention, and the present embodiment is,therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and notrestrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalencyrange of the appended claims are intended to be em braced therein.

I claim:

1. In a watch structure, the combination with a case-unit provided witha bezel having a sightpassage therethrough; of a crystal closing thesight-passage in the bezel of the said case-unit; a dial having aportion fitting within the sightpassage in the bezel of the saidcase-unit and extending in a plane forwardly of the plane of the rearface of the portion of the said bezel surrounding the sight-passagetherein; and a movement-unit located in the said case-unit in a positionto the rear of the said dial.

2. In a watch structure, the combination with a case-unit provided withan integral inwardlyextending bezel-flange having a sight-passagetherethrough; of a crystal closing the sight-passage in the bezel-flangeof the said case-unit; a dial having a portion fitting within thesightpassage in the bezel-flange of the said case-unit and extending ina plane forwardly of the plane of the rear face of the portion of thesaid bezelflange surrounding the sight-passage therein; and amovement-unit located in the said case-unit in a position to the rear ofthe said dial.

3. In a watch structure, the combination with a case-unit provided witha bezel having a sightpassage therethrough; of a crystal closing thesight-passage in the bezel of the said case-unit; a dial having acup-shaped portion tting within the sight-passage in the bezel of thesaid caseunit and extending in a plane forwardly of the plane of therear face of the portion of the said bezel surrounding the sight-passagetherein; and a movement-unit located in the said case-unit in a positionto the rear of the said dial.

4. In a watch structure, the combination with a case-unit provided withan integral inwardlyextending bezel-flange having a sight-passagetherethrough; of a crystal closing the sight-passage in the bezel-flangeof the said case-unit; a dial having a cup-shaped portion tting withinthe sight-passage in the bezel-flange of the said case-unit andextending in a plane forwardly of the plane of the rear face of theportion of the said bezel-flange surrounding the sight-passage therein;and a movement-unit located in the said case-unit in a position to therear of the said dial.

5. In a watch structure, the combination with a case-unit provided witha bezel having a sightpassage therethrough; of a crystal closing thesight-passage in the bezel of the said case-unit; a dial having arearwardly-extending retainingskirt engaged with the interior of thesaid caseunit and serving to retain the dial in place therein, the saiddial also having a portion fitting within the sight-passage in the bezelof the said caseunit and extending in a plane forwardly of the plane ofthe rear face of the portion of the said bezel surrounding thesight-passage therein; and a movement-unit located in the said case-unitin a position to the rear of the said dial.

6. In a watch structure, the combination with a case-unit provided withan integral inwardlyextending bezel-flange having a sight-passagetherethrough; of a crystal closing the sight-passage in the bezel-flangeof the said case-unit; a dial having a rearwardly-extendingretainingskirt engaged with the interior of the said caseunit andserving to retain the dial in place therein, the said dial also having aportion fitting within the sight-passage in the bezel-flange of the saidcase-unit and extending in a plane forwardly of the plane of the rearface of the portion of the said bezel-flange surrounding thesight-passage therein; and a movement-unit located in the said case-unitin a position to the rear of the said dial.

7. In a watch structure, the combination with a case-unit provided witha bezel having a sightpassage therethrough; of a crystal closing thesight-passage in the bezel of the said case-unit; a dial having arearwardly-extending retainingskirt engaged with the interior of thesaid caseunit and serving to retain the dial in place therein, the saiddial also having a cup-shaped portion fitting within the sight-passagein the bezel of the said case-unit and extending in a plane forwardly ofthe plane of the rear face of the portion of the said bezel surroundingthe sightpassage therein; and a movement-unit located in the saidcase-unit in a position to the rear of the said dial.

8. In a watch structure, the combination with a case-unit provided withan integral inwardlyextending bezel-flange having a sight-passagetherethrough; of a crystal closing the sight-passage in the bezel-angeof the said case-unit; a dial having a rearwardly-extendingretainingskirt engaged with the interior of the said caseunit andserving to retain the dial in place therein, the said dial also having acup-shaped portion tting within the sight-passage in the bezelflange ofthe said case-unit and extending in a plane forwardly of the plane ofthe rear face of the portion of the said bezel-flange surrounding thesight-passage therein; and a movement-unit located in the said oase-unitin a position to the rear of the said dial.

RICHARD H. WHITEHEAD.

